The way I see it: My oh my, there is some misguided thinking going on in the corporate world. God has a goal for us. We are to tap into His power. Why? To serve our co-workers. That is all there is to it.

What matters most at work: It is not about what is convenient. It is not about what is comfortable. It is not about me. It is not about status as a leader. It is all about Jesus. It is about my colleagues. It is about those who do not know our Master Jesus the Messiah.

It is always about “How can I help?” It is all about service. That is, it. That is the main thing about the main thing. That is God’s goal for us at work. Jesus is serious about it.

God’s goal for us is to love. Jesus is clear about that. We show we are a follower of Jesus when we look out for the good of those around us.

Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves. Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even the Messiah did not please himself. On the contrary, as it is written, The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. For whatever was written in the past was written for our instruction, so that we may have hope through endurance and through the encouragement from the Scriptures. Now may the God who gives endurance and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, according to Messiah Jesus, so that you may glorify the God and Father of our Master Jesus the Messiah with one mind and one voice.

Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Romans 15:1–6). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Paul classified himself with the strong saints as he dealt with a basic problem—selfishness. Are we trying to build our co-workers up and encourage them? True love is not selfish; rather, it seeks to share with others and make others happy. It is even willing to carry the younger disciples of Jesus, to help them along in their spiritual development. We do not endure them. We encourage them!

Of course, the great example in this is our Master Jesus the Messiah. He paid a tremendous price to minister to us. Paul quoted Psalm 69:9 to prove his point. Does a strong disciple think he is making a great sacrifice by giving up some food or drink? Then let him measure his sacrifice by the sacrifice of Jesus. No sacrifice we could ever make could match Calvary. NONE! NOT EVER!

A person’s spiritual maturity at work is revealed by his discernment. He is willing to give up his rights that others might be helped. He does this, not as a burden, but as a blessing our employer. Just as loving parents make sacrifices for their children, so the mature believer sacrifices to help our colleagues  grow in the faith.

Paul shared the two sources of spiritual power from which we must draw if we are to live to please others: the Word of God and prayer. We must confess that we sometimes get impatient with younger co-workers, just as parents become impatient with their children. But the Word of God can give us the “patience and encouragement” that we need. Paul closed this section praying for his readers, that they might experience from God that spiritual unity that He alone can give.

This suggests to us that our work life must major in the Word of God and prayer. The first real danger to the unity of the church came because the Apostles were too busy to minister God’s Word and pray. When they found others to share their burdens, they returned to their proper ministry, and the church experienced harmony and growth. We need to show this in our workplaces.